The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Feedback
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer vision.
The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address community desires.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the full content from Ismailer's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our audience.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of talks, he comes aboard us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.
David
Background of the Incoming Head
Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."
Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but fans can expect further news as development continues.
